Compare And Contrast The Three Social Classes In Sparta

There were three social classes in Sparta and four in Athens. Spartan classes were the Spartiates, perioeci, and helots. The Spartiates were native Spartans with political rights and served in the army. The perioeci were foreigners who carried out most of the trade in Sparta. Helots were slaves who came from the lands that the Spartans had conquered (Sparta.net). These helots were generally treated better than other Greek slaves; they kept a portion of the crops they farmed, lived as a family, could own land and homes, and kept their language and customs (Legends and Chronicles). Athens had the leisure class, the metics, the freedmen, and the slaves. The leisure class was the upper class, composed of native born Athenians who handled government.